Nine lawmakers flipped their votes on an amendment to the guns-in-bars/restaurants bill after some last-minute lobbying by the National Rifle Association, the CA says in a follow-up to an article that ran last week. Eight Republicans and one Democrat changed their committee votes from supporting an amendment by Rep. Harry Tindell that sought to separate […]

The Senate has voted 23-9 to approve a bill that would let people with handgun carry permits take their weapons into any establishment that serves alcohol. Their version of the bill does not include a House amendment that attempts to draw a distinction between restaurants and bars based on how much food they serve. The […]

The House Calendar & Rules Committee, whose job is basically to schedule floor votes on bills, deferred action on the guns-in-bars/restaurants bill until Thursday, meaning the measure won’t come up for a vote before the full House until at least next week. A compromise amendment in the House that would preserve the ban on guns […]

The New York Times has a new blog post up today (including a link to our story from Tuesday) about Tennessee’s guns-in-restaurants law, which took effect July 14 but could be struck down by a lawsuit this fall. The Times notes that Arizona passed a similar law last week but also quotes David Randolph Smith, […]

Critics of the guns-in-restaurants law that took effect at midnight have a web site, a Facebook page (5,217 members and counting) and a Twitter account (six followers) to promote their “Guns and Alcohol Don’t Mix” cause. They’re also asking people to give cards to servers and bartenders that urge bar and restaurant managers to ban […]

From the AP: The Arizona Senate has given final approval to a bill that would allow people with concealed weapons permits to carry a gun into a business that serves alcohol. The 19-8 vote completes legislative action on the bill and sends it to Republican Gov. Jan Brewer. She has not said whether she will […]

Updated 11:40 p.m.: The state Attorney General’s office says cities can’t prohibit guns in restaurants using beer permitting rules. That apparently settles a legal question raised by a few members of the Metro Council over whether cities’ ability to regulate beer trumps a new state law that lets handgun permit holders carry in restaurants. Metro’s […]

Members of the Metro Council are exploring whether there is a way Davidson and other large counties can get out of the guns-in-restaurants law through their authority to regulate beer permits. Adam Dread, a former councilman and Nashville attorney, is circulating the idea of passing an ordinance that specifically bans handguns in establishments that have […]

Final update at 11:22 a.m.: Override passes 21-9. Effective date of law is 40 days from today, Jackson says, on July 14 (Bastille Day). The debate, such as it was, is after the jump: Share on FacebookPosted In: Local, Politics, State

Rep. Curry Todd formally filed a motion to override Gov. Phil Bredesen’s veto of his guns-in-bars/restaurants bill. After the House clerk read a letter containing Bredesen’s veto message, Todd said, “I won’t tell you what the governor can do with that piece of paper he just sent.” Todd went on to criticize Bredesen for not […]